Listros

Share the joy

I came across this great picture by Street View Photography Ethiopia as I was browsing through their Facebook page, and I was hit with nostalgia. Listros are shoeshine boys, usually very young. They use the trade to support their families and pay for schooling and different things. In a developing country like Ethiopia, the job is a source of revenue for the whole family.

Every morning, people can be seen getting dust and mud off of their shoes in the streets of Addis before starting their work. I used to have a regular Listro named Tamagn too, right in front of my office building. I would go to him as soon as I got off my taxi, and we would both smile upon seeing each other, me with relief about my soon to be clean shoes, he with what I assume was pleasure at a few extra Birr in his pockets.

Author: Makeda Yasenlul

If you’re reading this thank you for allowing me to steal a few minutes of your day to introduce you to me- the eccentric author of this blog. My name is Makeda Yasenlul and I’m a 20 something (let your imagination run wild) year old immigrant living in Los Angeles, California. This site was birthed from the longing I had of my birthplace Ethiopia, so I utilize this medium to express said thoughts, ideas, and feelings to you my readers. I surely have no filter, so anything that strikes me as worthy of sharing I will do so without hesitation, you have been warned. My thoughts are just those, MY THOUGHTS. I will not sugarcoat or whitewash the content I post on here, because then I would be doing you a disservice by not giving you my honest opinion. I also encourage other people to contribute in the form of comments or even as fellow authors (after passing my rigorous test of course). Thank you again and Enjoy.
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